20/08/2026
_*Sabbath School Summary*_
*The Power of Christ’s Resurrection*
_*Lesson 8*_
_*Memory Text: 1 Corinthians 15:14-17*_
*Introduction*
*SABBATH*: Our salvation hinges on the incarnation, life, death, & resurrection of Christ. Yet, the truth of the resurrection still needs to be taught. Just like today, many people in Paul’s time doubted the resurrection of Christ. They knew how the body decays & people who had died for a longer time than they were alive. In human terms, the resurrection of the dead seems impossible. Paul sought to address this. It’s crucial that Jesus rose from the dead. If not the Cross is a lie & our sins have not been paid (1 Cor. 15).
*Proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ*
*SUNDAY*: Before talking about the risen Christ, Paul alert the mind of his readers about how Christ was a real, historical, & living Savior. He spoke of the gospel which he preached to the Corinthians & by which they were saved (1 Cor. 15). Going against the resurrection meant denying the gospel or one’s faith (1 Cor. 15:1-2, Rom. 10:9-10). Paul argues how the death & resurrection of Christ fulfills the OT promises (1 Cor. 15:1-4) & points to living people who saw Christ (1 Cor. 15:5-8, 11, Luke 24:44-48, Rom. 1:1-4).
*The Risen Christ, Our Only Hope!*
*MONDAY*: Without the hope that Christ resurrected, we have no hope at all. His resurrection guarantees that our sins are forgiven & there’s a surety that He’ll raise us up as well when we die (1 Cor. 15:9-19). Ancient pagans didn’t believe in the resurrection, mostly in the Greek world with a belief in body-soul dualism; a free soul that can travel wherever the souls of the dead go. Paul goes against this by pointing to many eyewitnesses. If Christ is not risen, then they were still sinners, the gospel/their faith is empty, & they were all liars (1 Cor. 5:5-8).
*Christ, the Firstfruits*
*TUESDAY*: If Jesus were not alive, any expectation about the future would be only delusion (1 Cor. 15:12-23). Christ is the firstfruits of all the dead (a sign of a larger resurrection) & the last Adam (the new head of humanity). He’ll deliver the kingdom back to His Father as the ruler. Christ submits entirely to the will of the Father, something the first Adam failed to do (1 Cor. 15:24; Rev. 20:5-6, 1 Cor. 15:25-29, 30-32, 34, 45, Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12). What’s difficult to understand is what Paul mean by *“baptized for the dead”* (1 Cor. 15:29, see 2 Tim. 1:12).
*The Resurrected Body*
*WEDNESDAY*: Paul answers 2 questions on how the dead are raised up & the body they come with (1 Cor. 15:35-39). 3 analogies are used by Paul: the body is like a seed that must die/ceased to be a seed & by a miracle become a plant; the risen will have a new body suitable for the situation in the heavenly world; & given a glorified body better than before (1 Cor. 15:36-41). Our current wold is terrestrial, perishable, weak, & natural. The latter is heavenly, imperishable, powerful, & spiritual (1 Cor. 15:40-44, Phil. 3:21). The 2 worlds have continuity.
*Final Victory Over Death*
*THURSDAY*: The phrase *“flesh & blood”* used by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:50 is in parallel with *“corruption”* just as the kingdom of God is in parallel with *“incorruption”.* It’s false to say that the expression *“flesh & blood can’t inherit the kingdom of God”* means/points to an immaterial existence in heaven (1 Cor. 15:42-49, 50, 53, 54). In short, Paul is saying that our bodies will be transformed in order to inherit heaven. In the glorified body, the sinful nature is removed (1 Cor. 15:51-54, 1 Thess. 4:13-17). Death is just a sleep.
*Further Thought*
*FRIDAY*: The divinity of Christ gives believers hope for eternal life. Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will live again, even after death. At His second coming when the righteous will be raised to life. When He called Lazarus from the grave, it foreshadowed the resurrection of all the faithful. At that glorious moment, the living and the resurrected will unite with their Lord, celebrating victory over death forever (1 Cor. 15:55). What a glorious reunion!
—Ellen G. White, "God's People Delivered," pp. 635-652, in The Great Controversy, The Desire of Ages, p. 530, & The Story of Redemption, pp. 411, 412.
*Keywords*
_*OT-* Old Testament_
_*“Baptized for the dead”-* Different suggestions have been offered, but it is better to interpret the expression as referring to the decision of some to be baptized so that they would be able to be reunited with dead loved ones at the resurrection. It could also be that the decision to be baptized was a response to the exemplary life of those who had died in Christ. This case would refer to people not being baptized in place of the dead but because of the dead."--Carl P. Cosaert, *"1 Corinthians,"* Andrews Bible Commentary: New Testament (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2022), p. 1652._
_*Continuity in the former and latter world-* Paul gives four contrasts between our earthly body here and now, and the resurrected body. The former is terrestrial, perishable, weak, and natural. In turn, the latter is heavenly, imperishable, powerful, and spiritual (1 Cor. 15:40-44). This does not mean there is no continuity between the two. Paul's use of the Greek term sĹŤma *("body")* for both the buried body and the resurrected body shows continuity. Conversely, the four contrasts above also show discontinuity. Our new bodies (thank the Lord) will not be the same as the decaying ones we have now._
_*“Flesh and blood" -* This is a phrase for fallen humanity, which is why our bodies must be transformed and purged of all imperfection at His return._
_For August 15-21. Happy Sabbath!_
*Discussion Questions*
đź“Ś Think about those who were eyewitnesses of Christ's resurrection (Acts 1:22, Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, Acts 5:30-32). How can we, about two thousand years after that event, be "witnesses" of His resurrection?
đź“Ś The resurrection of Christ is an integral part of the gospel message (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Without the resurrection, the proclamation of Christ's death would be irrelevant (1 Cor. 15:14). The death of Christ itself would be irrelevant. Why? What does your answer to this say about the power of Christ's resurrection?
đź“Ś Think a bit about Paul's intriguing statement "If the dead do not rise, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!' " (1 Cor. 15:32, NKJV). What is the point?
đź“Ś In class, talk about the state of the dead. Why does 1 Corinthians 15 make no sense if, at death, the saved are immediately taken to heaven?
*Inside Story*
*Spirit-Led Encounters*
By Antonymous
My wife and I prayed for help in starting a home church in the country where I serve. I met Salman through a taxi ride, and after sharing our faith, he began attending our gatherings and later brought his wife, who also found Jesus. Salman then discovered that his brother Faisal was already a Christian, and they both joined our church, thankful for a place to belong. After sharing their faith with their family, their parents accepted them, but others did not; we ask for prayers for their growth in faith and for more opportunities to connect with others in this closed country.
